Marlins Have Key Rotation Decision to Make After Cutting Paddack

MIAMI — After declaring support for the status quo on Sunday, the Miami Marlins have reportedly designated Chris Paddack for assignment. News of the transactions was first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and confirmed by MLB.com.

Paddack signed with the Marlins for $4 million to provide a stable veteran presence in the starting rotation this season. Miami has lost every game he started and the one game the Marlins won with Paddack involved a bulk relief appearance against the New York Yankees on April 5. 

Paddack has a 7.63 ERA and 5.00 FIP in 30 ⅔ innings pitched through a season he described as a “roller coaster.” 

“It definitely sucks,” Paddack said on Sunday. “I feel like this year I haven’t been able to allow things to continue over. Right when we think we’re getting in a good place, I get hit in the mouth again.”

This past Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies was his worst start. He lasted just 2.2 innings with seven runs on six hits allowed with three walks and a single strikeout. Six of his seven runs came in the first inning, dooming the Fish before the Phillies starting pitcher ever took the mound. 

“Outside of today, Chris is throwing the ball well,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said on Sunday. “He has probably ran against some tough luck in some outings, but he has thrown the ball and kept us in the games that he’s pitched. [Sunday] it was a tough one from pitch one till it was over.”

A decision will need to be made on who will take his spot. The decision is basically down between their top pitching prospect, and a longtime arm who has been one of the Marlins’ better pitchers since his big league debut. It may come down to scheduling.

Left-handed pitcher Robby Snelling (No. 2 prospect) last pitched on Friday against Durham, earning International League Pitcher of the Week honors tossing five no-hit innings with nine strikeouts in Triple-A Jacksonville’s 12-0 win. His next scheduled start lines up with when the Marlins need Paddack’s replacement to go on Friday against the Washington Nationals.

Snelling is tied for the International League lead in strikeouts (44) while ranking second in batting average against (.116), third in both ERA (1.86) and WHIP (0.90), and 14th in innings pitched (29.0). Snelling has a fastball that touched 100 last season, showing he has the raw stuff to take on Major League hitters. In four spring training appearances this year, Snelling threw 13 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched.

Braxton Garrett is the one who deserves the most to be called up, but is scheduled to start for the Jumbo Shrimp on Tuesday against Charlotte. Garrett has a 1.71 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26.1 innings over five starts. Two of his five starts involved him throwing a combined 14 hitless innings. 

Garrett proved to be a solid pitcher for the Marlins since his MLB debut in 2020. His best season was in 2023, where he recorded a 3.66 ERA with an 8.79 K/9 in 31 outings, as well as starting in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card series against Philadelphia.

Garrett, who missed all of last year due to an injury, missed out on the starting rotation during spring training in favor of Janson Junk. That decision has paid off for McCullough as of Monday, as the right-hander went 5.1 innings with, six strikeouts, five hits allowed in a 1-0 loss.

Junk (2.82 ERA) has given up one earned run in the last three starts. That one run was Bryce Harper’s solo home run on Monday.

“I felt Janson overall was really terrific,” McCullough said on Monday. “Outside of that sweeper to Bryce that probably didn’t catch well and just kind of stayed more middle of the plate that he was able to put a swing on. To go out there and to get us to where he got there and one run, you should win that game.” 

Garrett didn’t exceed rookie limits until 2022, when he started 17 games with a career-best 3.58 ERA for the Marlins. Garrett, 28, is signed for $1.53 million this season and isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2027 and barring an extension, won’t hit free agency until 2029. 

Should Garrett pitch as scheduled on Tuesday, the logical logistics would point to Snelling getting the call up. If Garrett is scratched, he will most likely return to loanDepot park.

In the meantime, the Marlins will call up right-handed reliever William Kempner from Triple-A Jacksonville to fill Paddack’s spot in the roster, giving the bullpen a fresh arm leading up to a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. Kempner has struck out 34 batters in 15.1 innings pitched, but he also allowed 11 runs during his time with the Jumbo Shrimp.

The Marlins (16-19) are tied for second with the Washington Nationals after dropping 3-of-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies and interim manager Don Mattingly. They are welcoming a Baltimore Orioles team that is coming off being swept by the New York Yankees.